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HA NOI,VIETNAM - The People's Court in Ha Noi's Thanh Xuan District yesterday sentenced Trinh Thi Hanh Phuong to 45 months in prison for torturing and abusing a young woman she kept as a virtual slave for over a decade.
Her husband Chu Minh Duc received a sentence of 39 months probation.
The court also forced the couple to compensate the young woman, Nguyen Thi Binh, in the amount of VND50.4 million (US$3,150) for the loss of her health and spirit as well as unpaid wages Binh earned when working in the couple's noodle shop.
The trial said Phuong had to bear major responsibility for harming Binh's health whose body was found to be covered with 424 scars. Phuong took part in beating Binh more often than her husband.
According to testimony, once Binh dropped a chopping board onto Phuong's foot and Phuong scolded Binh, saying: "You hurt me, so I'll stab you to see whether you hurt or not." Phuong then stabbed a knife into Binh?s foot.
The couple also used electric cables, wooden sticks and pliers to torture Binh.
At the hearing, the two denied the accusations, arguing they did so to deter Binh from fighting, stealing and talking back.
"I regarded Binh as a relative in my family, so as I did not think of paying a monthly salary to her," said Duc.
The case received enormous local media coverage last year and caused public outrage. - VNS
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